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Matt Mika, Tyson Foods director-government relations for Washington, D.C. was among those shot when a gunman opened fire on Wed., June 14, 2017 morning on a baseball practice at a park in Alexandria, Va.(Photo: Worth Sparkman, Tyson Foods)

A 38-year-old Michigan man who was shot several times in the chest and arm in Wednesday's practice for the Congressional Baseball Game is improving, writing notes and "even signed the game ball" for Thursday's game, his family announced today.

The update comes three days after Matt Mika, a lobbyist who grew up in Southfield, was practicing for an annual Democrat-versus-Republican charity baseball game in Alexandria, Va., when a gunman opened fire with an assault rifle, wounding five. All of the victims, including a Republican congressman whom doctors said narrowly escaped death, are expected to fully recover.

"Matt has undergone additional surgery and his physicians have reported positive results. Matt will remain in the ICU through at least this weekend. He continues to communicate with us through notes, and even signed the game ball for the Congressional Baseball Game," the family said in an e-mailed statement. "While we know there will be difficult and challenging days ahead for Matt and our family, the physicians and specialists at Matt’s side expect a full recovery."

Mika's family also praised the work and heroic actions of law enforcement and health professionals and thanked the public for its continued support.

“We want to thank the team at George Washington University Hospital for their world-class care, and we continue to be grateful beyond words for the heroic actions of the U.S. Capitol Police this week," the family said. "In addition, the positive thoughts, prayers and words of encouragement from across the nation have meant the world to Matt and to all of us."

Mika, a former baseball and football player at Adrian College, was volunteering with Republican congressmen at the practice for the charity baseball game when a shooter, James Hodgkinson of Illinois, opened fire. The gunman, who had lashed out against President Donald Trump and Republicans over social media, was killed in a shootout with police.

Injured were Mika, U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, another congressional aide and two Capitol Police officers. On Friday, Scalise's trauma surgeon said the congressman can hope to make an "excellent recovery," despite arriving at the hospital with "an imminent risk of death" after a bullet entered his hip and shattered blood vessels, bones and internal organs along the way.

In his first public comments since the shooting, Dr. Jack Sava of MedStar Washington Hospital Center said it’s a “good possibility” that the Louisiana Republican will be able to return to work in his full capacity, eventually walk and possibly even run. For now, Scalise remains in critical condition in the hospital’s intensive care unit.

“I feel a lot more confident and a lot more optimistic than I did two, three days ago,” Sava said. “I think that his risk of death right now is substantially lower than when he came in … he was as critical as you can be when he came in.”

Also suffering relatively minor injuries were two Capitol Police officers, David Bailey and Crystal Griner, and House GOP aide Zack Barth.

Mika's family traveled to Washington from Michigan to be with Mika, who is now a lobbyist for Tyson Foods in Washington. He previously worked for former U.S. Rep. Dave Camp, R-Midland, and U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton.

He also worked in the Michigan statehouse for former state Rep. David Palsrok of Manistee.